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Reserve - how does it work

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Reserve - how does it work

Old 01-02-2006, 10:51 PM
  #1  
FlyJB
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Default Reserve - how does it work

correct me if my assumption is wrong. because im not 100% sure how reserve works but i think i have a good idea.

Here goes... when on reserve you sit around and wait for the airline to call you and tell you they need you to make a flight, you dont have a regular schedule to stick to and it is unpredictable but you have to be able to report to work within 2 hours (typically). Most pilots sit on reserve for anywhere between 6 months to 6 years or more depending on the company. right? The pay for being on reserve is for 70 - 75 "credit hours"... Does that mean you are paid for 70 - 75 hours per month regardless of whether you get the chance to fly them or not??

also if anyone is on reserve, how many actual flight hours do you get to spend in the air on average per month?

thanks
 
Old 01-03-2006, 05:17 AM
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Originally Posted by FlyJB
correct me if my assumption is wrong. because im not 100% sure how reserve works but i think i have a good idea.

Here goes... when on reserve you sit around and wait for the airline to call you and tell you they need you to make a flight, you dont have a regular schedule to stick to and it is unpredictable but you have to be able to report to work within 2 hours (typically). Most pilots sit on reserve for anywhere between 6 months to 6 years or more depending on the company. right? The pay for being on reserve is for 70 - 75 "credit hours"... Does that mean you are paid for 70 - 75 hours per month regardless of whether you get the chance to fly them or not??

also if anyone is on reserve, how many actual flight hours do you get to spend in the air on average per month?

thanks

You've got the general idea. I don't think you can really say however that "most pilots sit on reserve for anywhere between 6 months to 6 years." It's totally dependant upon many circumstances. And that's assuming you don't want to sit reserve. At UPS, many people chooses to sit reserve even though they can hold a hard line.

Pay is typically your monthly guarantee...whatever it is at your particular company. I suppose you can say 75 hours is ballpark, but it depends upon the company. Many contracts have ways you can work the system to get paid more than the guarantee without actually flying as many hours. For example, if your guarantee is 75 hours and you don't get called to fly at all during the month, but you pick up a 5 hour trip on a day off, you could be paid 80 hours. You'll also get per diem for the days you do work.

As far as schedule is concerned, you know what days you're available and what days you're off. Every company has a different way of assigning your availability during your "on" days.

How many hours do you actually fly? Again, completely dependent on circumstance. Could be close to nothing or could be more than the guarantee.

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Old 03-18-2014, 08:54 AM
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Can I just get this straight. As a new junior FO you will still get paid the 75 hrs ie *guaranteed* whether you fly or not?

Further how does the time work in a day. For instance if you are on reserve on monday clearly you are not supposed to stay wide awake drinking coffee until someone calls for 24 hours so how long of a time are you "on call"

Second question is at what point do you move up out of being on reserve and holding a line.? Is it the number you receive which somehow qualifies you in a bidding system? I really dont get this part. Once you are holding a line then I guess no more reserve you are just assigned 75 hours a month?
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Old 03-18-2014, 09:04 AM
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Almost 10 years......a record?
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Old 03-18-2014, 09:05 AM
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Originally Posted by soakingpilot View Post
Can I just get this straight. As a new junior FO you will still get paid the 75 hrs ie *guaranteed* whether you fly or not?

Further how does the time work in a day. For instance if you are on reserve on monday clearly you are not supposed to stay wide awake drinking coffee until someone calls for 24 hours so how long of a time are you "on call"

Second question is at what point do you move up out of being on reserve? Is it the number you receive which somehow qualifies you in a bidding system? I really dont get this part.
Yes, you make whatever the monthly guarantee is no matter what. If you actually fly more than the guarantee credit, you'll make what you actually fly for the month.

Most companies have reserve availability periods or something of the like. You're on from 4a-4p, 9a-9p, etc. You'll know when you're on and when you're off.

When you're hired you get a seniority number and join the bottom of the seniority list at that company. Reserve tends to go junior, meaning those at the top of the seniority list bid for a line, or a set schedule of flying for the month. The #1 pilot gets their first pick, then the #2 pilot gets their pick of whatever is left over and so on until the lines are taken by the pilots that bid for them. Generally the pilots at the bottom of the seniority list are left with reserve. You can hold a line usually after enough pilots are hired after you to move you up the list to the point where you are senior enough to hold a line.

That's the general idea anyway!
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Old 03-18-2014, 09:12 AM
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2 hr notice is rare. At many companies it's 12 hrs + notice unless assigned shortcall which is then reasonably available ie approx 2 hrs but many times short call still get 8 hrs notice etc. shortcall is assigned a few times a month depending on your contract.
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Old 03-18-2014, 09:15 AM
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Originally Posted by full of luv View Post
2 hr notice is rare. At many companies it's 12 hrs + notice unless assigned shortcall which is then reasonably available ie approx 2 hrs but many times short call still get 8 hrs notice etc. shortcall is assigned a few times a month depending on your contract.
2 Hours is not rare in the regionals. Many have long call, but the majority will be short call and the long calls are limited and will go to the senior reserves.
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Old 03-18-2014, 09:22 AM
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2 hour notice is standard at AS except for the 'long call' lines. As far as how many "hard" hours you fly it entirely depends on the staffing and schedule of your individual A/C and seat position.

At one time while on reserve I averaged 10 flight hours a month for 75 hours guaranteed.
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Old 03-18-2014, 10:19 AM
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Ok sorry to go back to this again. But if seniority is just the ability to bid certain trips etc. Do you bid up to your 75 hours per month? Following that then there is no real difference between holding a line and being on reserve other than the fact that if you hold a line you have the ability to bid for better work periods and you have more control over what they will be instead of the table scraps that are left over? Please correct me if I'm wrong here.
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Old 03-18-2014, 10:29 AM
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Originally Posted by soakingpilot View Post
Can I just get this straight. As a new junior FO you will still get paid the 75 hrs ie *guaranteed* whether you fly or not?

Further how does the time work in a day. For instance if you are on reserve on monday clearly you are not supposed to stay wide awake drinking coffee until someone calls for 24 hours so how long of a time are you "on call"

Second question is at what point do you move up out of being on reserve and holding a line.? Is it the number you receive which somehow qualifies you in a bidding system? I really dont get this part. Once you are holding a line then I guess no more reserve you are just assigned 75 hours a month?
At my company (and many others I've talked to) you're paid 75 hours regardless of whether you fly at all that month. There are pay incentives if you get used more than 75 hours.

We're able to bid AM, PM or long call reserve. Each reserve period is 12 hours. AM reserves are on call 4am-4pm with a 2 hour call out. PM reserves are on call 9am-9pm with a 2 hour call out. Long call reserves are on call 24 hours per day during their reserve days but they get a 12 hour call out so no you don't have to sit up drinking coffee all day.

Normal reserve schedules are 4 days on reserve then 2-4 days off. If you're on reserve you're not on call 24/7 all month. You're only on call on the days you're scheduled to be on reserve during the times (AM or PM) that your reserve is scheduled.
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